Chattanooga receiver choo-choos into 49er central

Mark Soltau, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, May 5, 1996

SANTA CLARA - It didn't take long for rookie wide receiver Terrell Owens to get baptized into the NFL. In only his second day on the job, Owens failed to catch a pass from quarterback Steve Young and heard about it on his way back to the huddle.

"Yeah, I heard him," said the 6-foot-2, 213-pound Owens, a promising third-round draft pick from Division I-AA Tennessee-Chattanooga. "But I didn't make any reaction. I had that thought in the back of my mind. He didn't have to tell me."

Like most rookies, Owens' head is spinning trying to memorize a thick, new playbook. The college one, he said, included "five to 10" pass plays. The 49ers have about 200, each with several variations depending on coverages.

Nonetheless, Owens has been impressive. In addition to his size, he's strong, tough, explosive and can catch the ball in a crowd.

"He's done a good job," said coach George Seifert. "As far as his effort and basic tools, he looks special right now."

With the retirement of John Taylor, Owens will likely battle veteran Nate Singleton for playing time at split end behind second-year starter J.J. Stokes. At Chattanooga, Owens caught 144 passes for 2,325 yards, both school records, and scored 20 touchdowns. He also returned seven kickoffs for 159 yards (22.7 average).

"He's a unique talent," Young said. "I think people are kind of excited about him. He's raw. Playing for a small college, he's probably beaten up everybody he's played against."

Playbook aside, Owens said he's comfortable in his new surroundings. But he admitted it's strange lining up alongside Jerry Rice.

"It's kind of like I'm still in awe," said the soft-spoken Owens, who missed the afternoon workout with a slight groin pull. "At the same time I have a purpose here, to make a contribution. It's basically like he's the teacher and I'm the pupil."

Owens' apprenticeship may have come at a small school, but he possesses big-time ability. Even without pads, he has opened eyes the first two days.

"I think so," he said. "Just by my work habits and ability to catch the ball. It's all about going out and having confidence in yourself."

Owens will probably be asked to contribute on special teams, which he doesn't mind. Whatever it takes to make the 53-man roster.

Once that happens, he wants to make an impact. Saturday, Seifert stressed the importance of every player taking it upon himself to help the team win a sixth Super Bowl.

"Like coach said, "Don't be excited because you're a 49er,' " said Owens. "It's a lot of hard work. People don't win Super Bowls by being a 49er."

NOTES: Special assistant Bill Walsh was on hand for the afternoon workout for the first time during minicamp. . . . Seifert said the main focus of the three-day minicamp is conditioning. "There's some players that have to improve before we go to Rocklin," he said without naming names. "There's a lot of work to be done by a few players in particular. It's kind of a concern right now." . . . FB William Floyd did not participate in drills but watched from the sideline. Floyd, who tore three major ligaments in his right knee on Oct. 29 against New Orleans, is projected to be ready for action by midseason. However, he's convinced he'll be available for the season opener Sept. 1. . . . Young said his left shoulder is fine after extensive offseason weight-lifting, but he's just getting over a right-knee injury sustained on the last play of the Pro Bowl. "It's just now healing," he said. Young is scheduled to appear on David Letterman's show this week. . . . Newcomer Tommy Vardell is thrilled to be with the 49ers. "The attitude here is so different," said the ex-Stanford standout, a No. 1 pick of the Cleveland Browns in 1992. "Just the way it's run. It permeates through the team. It's like the new guys don't have a chance to develop a bad habit." . . . Young has nicknamed rookie WR Iheanyi Uwaezuoke of Cal "Renaldo" after former track star and 49ers wide receiver Renaldo Nehemiah, because of his speed. . . . The team concludes camp Sunday with a short morning practice and a 30-minute run. . . . . . . Actor Danny Glover watched practice and visited in the locker room afterward.&lt;